AUSTIN, Texas - For Bjorn Billhardt, the American Dream was a long journey.
- Data from New American Economy
- Entrepreneurs are an economic engine
- Situations are changing
“In 2012, after 13 years of being here, I finally became a citizen. It was one of the proudest moments of my life,” he says.
Starting out as an exchange student, then as a self-made business owner in the tech industry through an H-1B visa, he now runs a company out of Austin, operating in roughly 30 countries.
It’s a trend that keeps rising according to data from New American Economy.
“Immigrants in Austin are playing an increasingly prominent role in the area’s local business sector by starting companies that bring in revenue and employ Texans,” says Katie Brick of the NAE.
The report suggests entrepreneurs, like Bjorn, are the economic engine for the state.
“There is an enormous benefit to the United States and to Texas. There are over 600,000 people here in Texas alone that are employed by immigrant entrepreneurs,” he says.
But things are much different now.
“Right now those avenues are much more closed than they were when I was young and when I came here,” he says.
It’s a trend that threatens the entrepreneurial spirit.
“What I’m afraid of is that ultimately the United States will fall behind other countries,” he says.
Still, the hope is that the powerful dollar will bring people together.
“I do think that while the situation looks dire, there can be ways in which the two sides of the political aisle can come together,” he says.